An array of wines from Tutto Bene; Spiceventure's Sam Antonaccio and his father, Joe (Photos by Amelia Pak-Harvey)

LOWELL -- Tobias Marx wants you to get to know your community.

That's why the founder of One 27 Global, a Lowell-based nonprofit, is transforming Lucy Larcom Park into a midsummer paradise on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8 and 9, for an engaging food and wine festival.

Set around the theme of Shakespeare's 450th birthday, the Midsummer Dream Food and Wine Festival will feature food trucks, beer tastings, entertainment and more -- all with the ultimate goal of involving people in the community.

"What we're really passionate about is building community, because we really feel that community is a tool to resolve so many issues," Marx said.

Sandwiched between fine Tutto Bene wines and Thai food, Lowell's nonprofits will also set up in the park.

The idea, Marx said, is to connect people with organizations, providing exposure for smaller nonprofits and allowing people to find out how they make Lowell a better place.

"Lowell wouldn't be the city that it is not only for the businesses that are there that are represented, but also for the community organizations that work every day to make it a better place," he said.

While enjoying craft wine and beer tastings, visitors can learn about organizations such as Mill City Grows, Budget Buddies and the Non-Profit Alliance of Greater Lowell.

One 27 Global aims to help people deepen their understanding of community and poverty, Marx said, because poverty has so many more faces than just the homeless down the street.

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"It's a single mom that really works hard every day. It's the entrepreneur who starts a business and often gets broke before they even can get started," he said. "And we have those examples right here in Lowell."

For $2 admission, visitors can enjoy samplings from eight different food trucks on Friday night.

Lowell's very own mobile food truck, Spiceventure, will be serving international cuisine inspired by the father-son team's own roots.

Lucy Larcom Park

The truck debuted at last week's Lowell Folk Festival after Sam Antonaccio and his father, Joe, raised $10,000 on Kickstarter for the project. With an Italian father and a mother from Laos, the food ranges from focaccia bread to papaya salad.

"By that time we'll probably have our stove working properly, and so we'll actually have some Indian food," Antonaccio said of the menu for the upcoming festival. "We'll probably be doing a split between Indian menu and our Thai and Laos menu."

Tickets for Friday's craft beer tasting are $25, and include beer from the local Navigation Brewing Company and Do Can Brewery.

Borne from another local father-and-son duo, Navigation will be offering its India Pale Ale, Rye P.A.

"Basically, my objective would be to have a variety of wines from all over the world," said Ellen Andre, co-owner of Tutto Bene.

"Everything from a crisp Riesling for a nice hot summer day to a fruity zinfandel and robust red."

All the wines will be around or under $20 per bottle, she said.

The festival will be also be a preview to the upcoming Greater Merrimack Valley Restaurant Showcase Week, Marx said.

On Saturday, a dozen local restaurants will offer $2 to $5 samples of their food. Other entertainment and children's activities will carry on throughout the weekend.

For non-profits, the event could provide some quality face-time with the public.

Suzanne Ferchette, deputy director at Coalition for a Better Acre, said the concept was really great for the organization and CBA jumped right on board.

"It's not as often that we just get to tell people who we are and what we do," she said.

Raising awareness from the public could potentially bring in new revenue and clients, she said.

"We have to really constantly market ourselves and our services in a unique way to make sure we're reaching the people that need us," she said.

Ferchette is also president of the Non-Profit Alliance of Greater Lowell, and said the group will ideally be able to tell passersby what it does.

"There's a lot of really important services that people maybe don't even realize we do," she said.

Marx said he's hoping people get the vision behind the whole festival -- to enjoy great food and drinks but also take the time to look at what local organizations are doing.

"I think our hope is really to be community for people," he said. "That people can, through that, really get inspired to want to take more action, to find their place, to say, 'Hey, I didn't know you guys are here.' "

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